Dwelling space air condition control and air change control system

ABSTRACT

Inside of or adjacent to one end or other wall of a dwelling room or the like there is provided an air-pervious &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;false&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; wall spaced in advance of the true wall thereof, thereby defining therebetween a plenum space. Throughout a substantial portion of its extent the false wall comprises a readily air-pervious fabrication, such as for example an extremely loosely woven fabric of natural or synthetic fibers or wire strands or the like; or a parallel strand curtain; or some other highly perforate fabrication such as a punched sheet member or the like. In any case the false wall is preferably decoratively equivalent to the viewed surface of a conventionally decorated room wall. Supply air inlet means are provided in one-way open system communication with the plenum space; the air supply thereto being beneficiated/&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;conditioned&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; (heated, cooled, humidified, dehumidified, filtered, etc.) either externally of or within the plenum space. The invention features provision within a plenum space as aforesaid a positive air displacement/transport device which only leisurely moves the beneficiated air through the false wall and thence through the dwelling spaced towards an outlet remote from the false wall. Because of its air-pervious nature the false wall &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;breathes&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; a room-wide diffused supply of suitably beneficiated air into and through the room for temperature/humidity/filter control thereof; silently, and without perceptible draft effects.

United States Patent [1 1 Bean [ 1 Sept. 17, 1974 1 DWELLING SPACE AIRCONDITION CONTROL AND AIR CHANGE CONTROL SYSTEM [76] Inventor: John B.Bean, 120 Henning Dr.,

Orchard Park, NY. 14127 [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1973 [21] Appl. No.:397,171

Primary ExaminerWilliam J. Wye Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bean & Bean [57]ABSTRACT Inside of or adjacent to one end or other wall of a dwellingroom or the like there is provided an airpervious false wall spaced inadvance of the true wall thereof, thereby defining therebetween a plenumspace. Throughout a substantial portion of its extent the false wallcomprises a readily air-pervious fabrication, such as for example anextremely loosely woven fabric of natural or synthetic fibers or wirestrands or the like; or a parallel strand curtain; or some other highlyperforate fabrication such as a punched sheet member or the like. In anycase the false wall is preferably decoratively equivalent to the viewedsurface of a conventionally decorated room wall. Supply air inlet meansare provided in one-way open system communication with the plenum space;the air supply thereto being beneficiatedlconditioned (heated, cooled,humidified, dehumidified, filtered, etc.) either externally of or withinthe plenum space. The invention features provision within a plenum spaceas aforesaid a positive air displacement/transport device which onlyleisurely moves the beneficiated air through the false wall and thencethrough the dwelling spaced towards an outlet remote from the falsewall. Because of its air-pervious nature the false wall breathes aroom-wide diffused supply of suitably beneficiated air into and throughthe room for temperature/humidity/filter control thereof; silently, andwithout perceptible draft effects.

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DWELLING SPACE AIR CONDITION CONTROL AND AIR CHANGE CONTROL SYSTEMBACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to the problem ofmoving into and through any enclosed dwelling space such as a bedroom,an office space, a living room, or any other business or householddwelling room or the like (hereinafter referred to as room), apsychically and physically comforting supply of beneficiated(heated/cooled/filtered/deodorized/odorized/humidified/dehumidified;etc.) air. The invention is particularly concerned with suitabledelivery of such air into spaces designed for personnel occupancy, suchas are currently typified by motel or hotel or office or residentialrooms; without any attendant irritating room drafts and/or rest orsleep-interrupting noises such as invariably accompany the operation oftodays typical air-conditioning systems. The drafts and noisesaccompanying the start/- stop and continuous operations of conventionalaircondioning systems are recognized today as accounting for or at leastinducing tendencies toward respiratory discomforts/diseases, and/ormental disturbances/discomforts/diseases such as for example are knownas neurasthenia; but which more generally are identified simply as beingmodem-day respiratory and nervesystem frustrating or disturbingenvironmental problems.

Conventional air-conditioning systems employ fans or blowers which drivethe supply air at high velocities through conditioning devices andthence through the associated delivery conduits or ducts. Such prior artsystems may employ conditioning devices which are either centrallylocated to supply a number of rooms, or are individually located inclose association with each separate room. In any case the conditionedair is transported to a room through a ducting system at high velocity,and pours into the room in the form of a highvelocity draft-producingstream. Thus, all such systems are invariably draft-producing.

Also, they are inherently noisy, even when the blower machines arelocated remotely from the room, because the conditioned air is rushedthrough the transmission ducts (which typically are metal tunnels) atsuch rates as to generate mechanical vibrations and/or high frequencydrum effects throughout the structures of the ducting system. Suchsounds are thereby funneled into the room, and tend to be so disturbingto the room occupants as to constitute serious rest-period interruptionsand/or irritations to their nervous systems; thereby frustrating theirattempts to find quiet work or rest or sleep-inducing environments.

The draft and noise effects incidental to operations of todaysconventional type air-conditioning systems clearly constitute pollutionsof the environment such as should be avoided in future personneldwelling and/or working space architectual design; and the presentinvention is directed to a new and improved system for transportingbeneficiated air (whether it be fresh or recycled) into and through suchroom spaces such as will obviate the aforesaid disadvantages of theprior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE A false wall provided with open airpassageways dispersed throughout substantial portions of its planarextent is located interiorly of a room and in spaced relation from atrue wall of the room; thereby defining an open plenum spacetherebetween. A fresh or recycled (hereinafter referred to as supply)air inlet is arranged in one-way open communication with the plenumspace. A positive air displacement device of the slow-moving, one-waypump type is disposed within the plenum space, and is motivated so as tomove air leisurely and quietly from within the plenum space through thewide-spread extent of the false wall, so as to then float in widelydispersed pattern across and through the room toward a suitable outletlocated in apposition to the false wall.

In one form of the invention suitable air beneficiation device(s) may bedisposed within the plenum space. Alternatively, they may be locatedwithin the air supply duct system; or, at some central location forbeneficiating the air to be supplied through a plurality of branchconduits into a multiple dwelling room system. In any case each room isto be supplied with air by way of its own plenum space within which aleisurely oper ating one-way positive air displacement device isoperable under control of the room occupant to regulate the rate of airtravel through the room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be practiced asshown by way of examples in the following drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section and illustrative of the interiors ofan in-line series of motel rooms or the like, embodying an air transportsystem of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, schematic, vertical section through a multipleroom motel-type dwelling structure, embodying an air transport systemsuch as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 but illustrates utilization ofa centrally located heating/cooling or other air beneficiating unit forsupplying air separately to each room of a multiple room structure;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken generally as suggestedby line 44 of FIG. 2, showing in front elevational view the airtransport device thereof and optionally modified forms of air inletarrangements; I

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as suggested by line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale fragmentary illustration showing one form ofbeneficiated air inlet and spent air outlet arrangement, and also anexample of a suitable means for actuating the air displacement devicewhich is located within the plenum space;

FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 6 but illustrates another form of airdisplacement device operative arrangement;

FIG. 8 corresponds to FIG. 6 but illustrates still another form of airtransport arrangement in accordance with the invention; as well asanother example of a heat exchanger or other supply air beneficiatingdevice or arrangement located within the plenum space for treating theinlet air;

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 4 but shows another suitable form of the airdisplacement device; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken as suggested by line 10l0 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to thedrawing at FIGS. 1-3 in accordance with the present invention there isillustrated therein a modern-day tandem type motel arrangement of roomsdesignated generally at A, B, C; the true and typically sound-proofeddividing walls therebetween being indicated at 10. Disposed within eachdwelling space ahead of its true wall (optionally, adjacent any wallsurface of the room) is a false wall 12, defining therebetween a plenumspace 14. A supply air inlet duct is provided for each room such asindicated at 16; one-way passage control therefore being provided for byany suitable means such as the flap valve members as shown at 17 (FIG.4). Note that the air inlet ducts may be located optionally either atthe upper or lower levels of the room or at both elevations as shown atFIG. 4. Thus, in the colder climates or seasons heated air may bepreferentially admitted through the lower inlet, while in warmerclimates or seasons cooled air may be preferentially admitted throughthe upper inlet. Spent air outlet ducts for each room may be arrangedoptionally as shown at 18-19; the outlet ducts providing air exits tothe outside atmosphere, such as through the true wall of the next inline room of the motel room series, as a means of conserving therequisite building lot space.

The invention is exemplified by a system including a positive airdisplacement type device such as shown by way of one example may be inthe form of a one-wayvalved panel 20, which is disposed in each plenumspace 14. As illustrated in more detail at FIGS. 4, 5, 9, 10, such paneldevices may each comprise a generally rectangular frame 22 includingintermediately disposed cross bars 24, 26. The frame device may befabricated of any suitable material, and in any case to provide aplurality of apertures therethrough such as are indicated at 28. Checkvalve type cover or flap devices as indicated at 30 formed of some softcloth or plastic or other suitable sheet material are individuallyfashioned and fastened along one edge thereof as shown at 32 to theframe structure, so as to thereby pivot freely therefrom in front of theapertures 28 as shown in the draw mg.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, 8-10, by way of example, the frame 22 may behingedly suspended along its upper edge as by hinge devices 34 tobrackets extending from the ceiling of the plenum space 14. Thus it willbe understood that back and forth oscillations of the panel device whilehanging upon its hinge supports will cause it to sweep within the plenumspace in such manner as to move air leisurely from within the inlet ductthrough the false wall 12 and into and throughout the room; the valve orflap devices 30 swinging alternately from aperture-closing toaperture-open positions as the panel moves forwardly and then rearwardlywithin the plenum space. The panel devices may be motivated by anysuitable means such as a double-acting pneumatic or hydraulic rotary orpiston/cylinder motor as shown at 35 (FIGS. 6-8); or an electric motoror the like, connecting to a crank arm extending from the panel. Or, asshown in FIG. 7, the panel devices may be freely hung from bell-cranks38 which in turn are pivotally mounted upon stationary structure asshown at 39, so as to be moved alternately forwardly and rearwardlywhile remaining in vertical attitude within the plenum space 14. In anycase, control of the speed of operation of the drive motor unit will ofcourse regulate the rate of air displacement from the inlet duct 16through the false wall 12; it being noted that the supply air in duct 16is at ambient pressure, and that therefor its rate of replacement ofroom air is solely dependent upon the rate of operation of the panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 3 the conditioned air inlets 16 may supply beneficiatedair as needed from a centrally located air treatment facility such as isindicated at 40; the air being drawn therefrom through a manifold duct42 and thence through ducts 44 which individually serve various rooms ofthe building. However, it is to be understood that each room of thebuilding may be supplied with locally beneficiated air by its ownindividual air treatment facility, such as may be located eitherexternally of the room or within its plenum chamber 14 as suggested at45 (FIG. 8). Note that in this case a grid of heating/cooling tubes orthe like is shown by way of example as being positioned within theplenum space 14, whereby air drawn through the space as explainedhereinabove will become beneficiated as the case may require.

The air supply inlet to the plenum chamber may be located at anyappropriate position/elevation in the plenum chamber, according tostructural and air temperature conduction considerations. The provisionand locationing of spent air outlet openings will also be determined byroom air temperature level considerations. Accordingly, in one preferredform of the system of the invention spent air outlet registers such asshown at 18, 19, may be provided across the room from the false wall andadjacent the upper and lower levels of the room; and will be providedwith flow regulating registers or louvers. Thus, when the system isfurnishing heated air the spent air may be exhausted through the floorlevel exit (with a view to conserving heat within the room); and whenfurnishing cooled air the spent air may be exhausted through the ceilinglevel exit to facilitate removal of the hottest air from the room. Also,it will be understood that the registers may be adjusted to provide anydesired composite or bi-level air exiting arrangement.

The rate of response of the system to demands to heat or cool orotherwise ventilate or beneficiate the air in a room is readilyregulatable by appropriate adjustments of the heating/cooling or otherbeneficiating medium supply controls, and by regulation of the rate ofoscillation of the valve panel within the plenum chamber. For example,the temperature of and the rate of delivery of the heat-exchange medium(whether it be a liquid or a gas or a molten metal, or an electricalresistance heater) will of course be regulated by any suitable manual orautomatic or combination control system, such as are currently known andavailable on the market for control of conventional air conditioningsystems. In this respect references may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos.3,734,810; 3,744,275; and 3,745,788. Rate of oscillation of the valvepanel as shown or of any other suitable air displacement device may ofcourse be readily regulated through use of an appropriate speed controlfor the motor driving the displacement device; and the manual controlsfor the entire system may of course be coordinated and centralized at acontrol console accompanied by appropriate instructive indicia, tofacilitate monitoring of the operation of the system.

It will be appreciated that the air beneficiation device of the systemof the invention may provide any desired service such as mentionedhereinabove or may be employed to introduce medication or otheradditives into the room atmosphere. For example, the device may comprisea porous pad or the like which is adapted to be saturated with a liquidmedicant; or, for example, it may comprise a source of oxygen to be usedin lieu of an oxygen tent, or whenever it is desired to increase theoxygen content of the occupied atmosphere. In any case it will beunderstood that the system is operable to provide at the same time adesired change of air throughout substantially the entire extent of theroom room;

an air beneficiating device located within said passageway;

a motorized one-way-valved position airdisplacement device disposedwithin said plenum chamber;

control means for regulating the operation of said motorized device andthe speed of operation thereof whereby beneficiated air may be displacedto flow through said false wall and in widely dispersed pattern intosaid room; and

exit means for allowing discharge of spent air from said room as saiddisplacement device operates to deliver beneficiated air into the room.

2. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airbeneficiating device is motorized and control means are provided toregulate operation thereof.

3. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device is located externally of said plenum chamber.

4. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device is located internally of said plenum chamber.

5. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airdisplacement device comprises a panel hingedly mounted to reciprocatewithin said plenum space so as to progressively displace air to movetherefrom through said false wall.

6. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said falsewall is artistically decorative when viewed from inside said room.

7. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airsupply source comprises a source of outside fresh air.

8. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airsupply source comprises a source of recycled air.

9. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises a heater.

10. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises a cooler.

11. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises an air humidifying device.

12. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises a dehumidifying device.

13. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises an air filtering device.

14. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises an air odor change device.

15. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airbeneficiating device is adapted to supply a medicant to the transportedair.

16. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device is adapted to add oxygen to the transported air.

17. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inletmeans is one-wayvalved.

Patent 5, 5 Dated September 17, 1974 Inventor s) John B. Bean It iscertified that error appears in the above identified patenf and thatsaid-Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

7 columnll; line 59, ."3, 745,788" should f-ifead 3,745,778: Claim 1,line '30, "p o sition"" s hou ld read positive v Sigfied and sealed this7. th day of Jenil a ry' 1975..

(SEAL) Attest: v I MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL; DANN v AttestingOfificer v v I Comissiqnej: of Patents FORM Po 1oso(10-.-69) I V 5 v gw3

1. An air transport system for leisurely moving beneficiated air derivedfrom an ambient source into and through a dwelling room or the like,said system comprising in combination: inlet means leading from an airsupply source into a plenum chamber disposed behind a ''''false'''' wallof said room, said false wall being structured so as to be readilyair-passage permeable throughout a substantial extent of its planarsurface, whereby said inlet means and said plenum chamber combine toprovide a passageway for supply of air into said room; an airbeneficiating device located within said passageway; a motorizedone-way-valved position air-displacement device disposed within saidplenum chamber; control means for regulating the operation of saidmotorized device and the speed of operation thereof whereby beneficiatedair may be displaced to flow through said false wall and in widelydispersed pattern into said room; and exit means for allowing dischargeof spent air from said room as said displacement device operates todeliver beneficiated air into the room.
 2. An air transport system asset forth in claim 1 wherein said air beneficiating device is motorizedand control means are provided to regulate operation thereof.
 3. An airtransport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiatingdevice is located externally of said plenum chamber.
 4. An air transportsystem as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device islocated internally of said plenum chamber.
 5. An air transport system asset forth in claim 1 wherein said air displacement device comprises apanel hingedly mounted to reciprocate within said plenum space so as toprogressively displace air to move therefrom through said false wall. 6.An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said false wallis artistically decorative when viewed from inside said room.
 7. An airtransport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air supply sourcecomprises a source of outside ''''fresh'''' air.
 8. An air transportsystem as set forth in claim 1 wherein said air supply source comprisesa source of recycled air.
 9. An air transport system as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises a heater.
 10. An airtransport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiatingdevice comprises a cooler.
 11. An air transport system as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises an air humidifyingdevice.
 12. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidbeneficiating device comprises a de-humidifying device.
 13. An airtransport system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiatingdevice comprises an air filtering device.
 14. An air transport system asset forth in claim 1 wherein said beneficiating device comprises an airodor change device.
 15. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1wherein said air beneficiating device is adapted to supply a medicant tothe transported air.
 16. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1wherein said beneficiating device is adapted to add oxygen to thetransported air.
 17. An air transport system as set forth in claim 1wherein said inlet means is one-way-valved.